Crack stitching help

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MLA

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Hi
I have a 5mm crack from a wall at the top of my house. It is on both sides of a 100mm wall. I had a structual engineer look at it who recommedned crack stitching as it is the weakest part of the wall as its next to 1 of 2 doors close together. Adding a 3 meter permagard kit looked reasonably straight forward, until I started to remove some of the plaster. Its an internal wall and doesnt appear to carry much load. Its a vertical crack which we believe was caused by the front of the house settling due to a blocked run off drain tht was hidden for a few years. The house was built around 1929.

It turns out that the wall is cinder blocks on top of a wooden lintel. the crack in the image is to the left of the first door. The issue is that above the lintel their is one large brick to the top of the wall (the wall does not continue in the loft). this means that the only mortar line is driectly above the lintel itself. To make the issue worse, this line does not carry on each side of the door/ crack for 500mm. The mortar lines above the door do not match the rest of the wall.

Nor sure what to do now? do I cut through the cinder block as if it was a mortar line to match the ones adjacent?
do i install 2 bars on the mortar line directly above the lintel, but then cut into the brick to get 500mm tp the left hand side of the door?
do i need to remove the bricks above the doors and redo (not my preferred choice)?

Not sure what would be best. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

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MLA said:
Hi
I have a 5mm crack from a wall at the top of my house. It is on both sides of a 100mm wall. I had a structual engineer look at it who recommedned crack stitching as it is the weakest part of the wall as its next to 1 of 2 doors close together. Adding a 3 meter permagard kit looked reasonably straight forward, until I started to remove some of the plaster. Its an internal wall and doesnt appear to carry much load. Its a vertical crack which we believe was caused by the front of the house settling due to a blocked run off drain tht was hidden for a few years. The house was built around 1929.

It turns out that the wall is cinder blocks on top of a wooden lintel. the crack in the image is to the left of the first door. The issue is that above the lintel their is one large brick to the top of the wall (the wall does not continue in the loft). this means that the only mortar line is driectly above the lintel itself. To make the issue worse, this line does not carry on each side of the door/ crack for 500mm. The mortar lines above the door do not match the rest of the wall.

Nor sure what to do now? do I cut through the cinder block as if it was a mortar line to match the ones adjacent?
do i install 2 bars on the mortar line directly above the lintel, but then cut into the brick to get 500mm tp the left hand side of the door?
do i need to remove the bricks above the doors and redo (not my preferred choice)?

Not sure what would be best. Any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Had this in my house. I took out the cinderblocks above the doors and studded it out, but whole house back to brick.

Also cracked where it met brick, as it wasn’t properly toothed in.

I wouldn’t worry too much, cut some channels where convenient and get your helical bar in. When it’s dry, embed render mesh into your under coat plaster overlapping the cracked area well.
 
MLA said:
Hi
I have a 5mm crack from a wall at the top of my house. It is on both sides of a 100mm wall. I had a structual engineer look at it who recommedned crack stitching as it is the weakest part of the wall as its next to 1 of 2 doors close together. Adding a 3 meter permagard kit looked reasonably straight forward, until I started to remove some of the plaster. Its an internal wall and doesnt appear to carry much load. Its a vertical crack which we believe was caused by the front of the house settling due to a blocked run off drain tht was hidden for a few years. The house was built around 1929.

It turns out that the wall is cinder blocks on top of a wooden lintel. the crack in the image is to the left of the first door. The issue is that above the lintel their is one large brick to the top of the wall (the wall does not continue in the loft). this means that the only mortar line is driectly above the lintel itself. To make the issue worse, this line does not carry on each side of the door/ crack for 500mm. The mortar lines above the door do not match the rest of the wall.

Nor sure what to do now? do I cut through the cinder block as if it was a mortar line to match the ones adjacent?
do i install 2 bars on the mortar line directly above the lintel, but then cut into the brick to get 500mm tp the left hand side of the door?
do i need to remove the bricks above the doors and redo (not my preferred choice)?

Not sure what would be best. Any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Heli bar the crack up and should be sound pretty sure they class heli fix as a structural lol
 
i don't think that the crack is that heavy to require a Heli bar .
i would clean out the crack about 50mm deep either with a drill or angle grinder.
remove the plaster about 300 mm either side of the crack. then fill the crack with Fischer resin.
fit EMLath to the block with screws and plugs . then replaster .
 
malc said:
i don't think that the crack is that heavy to require a Heli bar .
i would clean out the crack about 50mm deep either with a drill or angle grinder.
remove the plaster about 300 mm either side of the crack. then fill the crack with Fischer resin.
fit EMLath to the block with screws and plugs . then replaster .
Click to expand...
Depends if the crack is live and still moving heli will stop that
 
Probably would not worry about achieving a crack free 1929 house imo
Likewise probably would not try achieving purchasing any materials for the foreseeable future either unless you’re willing to pay 500% price hikes on eBay
:reloco:
 
ChrispyUK said:
Had this in my house. I took out the cinderblocks above the doors and studded it out, but whole house back to brick.

Also cracked where it met brick, as it wasn’t properly toothed in.

I wouldn’t worry too much, cut some channels where convenient and get your helical bar in. When it’s dry, embed render mesh into your under coat plaster overlapping the cracked area well.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks
So just cut through the least amount of cinder blocks to get the bars in, then mesh prior to plaster.

Would putting the bars directly above the lintel in that channel be best so only cut 500mm of cinder to the side or further up the wall above the doors in the middle of cinder for 2.5m?
 
Last edited:
MLA said:
Thanks
So just cut through the least amount of cinder blocks to get the bars in, then mesh prior to plaster.

Would putting the bars directly above the lintel in that channel be best so only cut 500mm of cinder to the side or further up the wall above the doors in the middle of cinder for 2.5m?
Click to expand...

500mm is fine. You could use eml as Malc suggested too,...done that before. Probably use eml instead of render mesh as it will be cheaper. You can buy a small roll from tool station or a sheet for a tenner from Wickes.
 
I used to do this for insurance work. As malc. said spot on .my first house was like that all over.. and some bomb damage. Don't panic.:frio:
 
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